CiTy Weekly

November 6, 2008

www.stjoemo.info
SJTV-19
St. Joseph, Missouri City news & information.... (816) 279-4YOU
St. Joseph is one of 100 BEST Communities for Young People 2008
St. Joseph is a Missouri Creative Community 2008

Rainwater Collection Systems by Sandy Brooks, Customer Assistance Center Manager

The next time it rains, take a look outside and think if you might be able to do something with
all that water. Well, you can. Some people call it harvesting rainwater. Why harvest rainwater?
It can save you money and your community. Collecting and using rainwater means you aren’t
buying potable water to use on your landscaping. It helps reduce the amount of water you
use and the amount of water that goes into the stormwater drainage systems.

According to some water resources and education websites, “rainwater is good for plants
because it is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth.” The harvesting of
rainwater has been used for years all over the world. Many people in rural areas have revived
the practice of rainwater harvesting and are not only using it for watering gardens, but are
going further and installing systems that make the water usable for household water needs.

Rainwater harvesting systems come in all shapes and sizes, and from simple containers to complex filtrations
systems. All rainwater systems, no matter how small or big, have a few things in common. Most people catch their
water from the roof of their houses. Metal roofs work really great, but any kind of roof will work for a non-potable
system. Gutters, downspouts, and a pathway of PVC pipe are all you need for a small system. Some people have
tanks under raised decks and catch water that way. The storage tanks can be a rain barrel or a cistern made of
wood, concrete, fiberglass, metal or anything that holds water. There are containers that are made specifically for
catching rainwater, but of course, they are more expensive. You can use a screen or mesh to cover the container to
keep out leaves, dirt, and animals. A rain
barrel may have something as simple as
a spigot at the base, or a more elaborate
system may use a pathway of PVC pipe
and hoses. If you can take advantage
of gravity, that is great, or you can use
a pump to move the water through the
hoses to water your landscape.

There is a lot of information on the

internet about harvesting rainwater.
If you are interested, take a look and
decide what kind of system you might be
interested in. Rainwater harvesting does
require some work, but most people find
it well worth their time. If you are going
to build an elaborate system, make sure
you do your homework before starting.
CAN-SPAM: What Went Wrong? by Mark Townsend, Associate Director of Technology Services
(The following article was taken from the October 6, 2008 issue of NetworkWorld)
Five years ago, the U.S. tech industry, politicians, and Internet users were wringing their
hands over the escalating problems of spam. Back then, 45% of all e-mails were unwanted
pitches for such products as Viagra, penny stocks, or porn sites. An estimated 15 billion spam
messages were sent over the Internet daily in 2003, prompting 74% of online adults to favor a
law that would make mass spamming illegal. Statistics like these prompted Congress to pass
a landmark antispam bill known as the CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited
Pornography and Marketing) Act in December 2003.

Fast-forward five years. The number of spam messages sent over the Internet every day has
grown more than 10-fold, topping 164 billion worldwide in August 2008. Almost 97% of all
e-mails are spam, costing U.S. ISPs and corporations an estimated $42 billion a year. The content of spam has
changed, too. In 2003, spam was an annoying or offensive come-on to buy a product. Today, more than 83% of
spam contains a URL for a Web site that is trying to infect computers with malicious software.

Law enforcement officials have prosecuted dozens of spammers under the CAN-SPAM Act and won some high-
profile cases, such as putting pharmacy spam king “Rizler” behind bars for 30 years. Nonetheless, CAN-SPAM has
done little to deter spammers. Industry observers, however, say the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 wasn’t a complete
failure because it defined spam. It prompted legitimate e-mail senders to improve their online marketing, and it
led to several high-profile convictions of spammers in conjunction with other fraud laws.

Five years after the passage of CAN-SPAM, spam is at an all-time high. Spam levels are so high – representing
96.5% of all e-mail – that only 1 in 28 e-mails sent over the Internet is legitimate according to Sophos, a security
software vendor. “Most businesses don’t realize how bad spam is because, thankfully, there are gateways and
antispam filters that are stopping it,” says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “But the Internet
providers are feeling the pain, and the IT department is feeling the pain.”

Of particular concern is the number of botnets that spammers control and use to send out huge amounts of
e-mail. Spam is more vicious today, due to e-mail attachments that link to Web pages that infect computers with
malicious code. Spammers steal data or take control over the infected computer and join it to botnets for future
attacks. “We see over 5,000 new malicious Web pages every day, and most of them are linked to or from a spam
message,” Cluley says. “The Web sites you get taken to are not necessarily porn or gambling. Ninety percent of
them are legitimate Web sites that have been hacked. That, again, fools people into thinking that they’ve received
a regular e-mail.”

Increasingly, spam is being sent by organized crime networks rather than petty crooks. Among the biggest
money makers for spammers are selling counterfeit products, pumping up stocks, stealing personally identifiable
information and other scams. “Organized crime is investing in advanced research and development organizations
that are conducting these attacks,” says Jaime de Guerre, CTO of antispam vendor Cloudmark. “They are developing
botnet software, and they are developing the ability to modify images so that each image sent in an e-mail is
different.”

Spam is more international than it was when the CAN-SPAM Act was passed. One reason the law hasn’t been
very effective is because it doesn’t apply to spammers in other countries. The United States is the world’s largest
spammer, but its share of spam has dropped dramatically. In February 2004, the U.S. was responsible for 56.7% of
the world’s spam. Today, that number is 14.9%. Next in line as top spammers are Russia (7.5%), Turkey (6.8%), and
China/Hong Kong (5.6%).

“As long as spam is profitable, and there is no question that it is, and as long as people fall for spam, then we are
going to have people trying to do it,” says Dmitri Alperovitch, director of intelligence analysis at Secure Computing.
“Fundamentally, spam is a people problem. As long as people are willing to fall for the allure of $1 million that
they may have won in a lottery…there will be spam.”

“The most useful thing is to really protect your computer with up-to-date antivirus, firewalls, and security packages,
and to think twice before you click,” Cluley says. “But as long as people keep making dumb decisions, spam will
continue to happen.”
Illegal Dumping by Steve Hofferber, Director of Property Maintenance
Owning rental housing is not an easy way to make money. There are many challenges
that landlords face in trying to attract and retain reliable tenants, keeping the building and
outlying property well-maintained, and dealing with challenges caused by crime, vandalism,
and other activities that reduce the overall attractiveness of a neighborhood. One of those
challenges, relating to property maintenance, is illegal dumping.

The type of illegal dumping most often encountered in populated areas is the occasional
dumping of a few bags of trash or tires--it often occurs on vacant lots or behind buildings
that appear to be unoccupied and convenient places for people to discard their trash without
being observed. However, illegal dumping can, and does, occur on occupied property also.

Many landlords provide trash service and dumpsters for their tenants. They are often taken advantage of by
residents of other properties who may not have trash service and dump their trash in dumpsters and yards
belonging to others. Adding to their frustration is the fact that state law and city ordinances still hold them
responsible for removing the illegally dumped trash once it is on their property.

While it is impossible to totally eliminate the problem of illegal dumping, there are many things landlords can do
to help minimize the problem…

1. Take exemplary care of their property; make sure the buildings are well-maintained, the grass mowed, and any
trash, debris, junk vehicles, or graffiti removed. If it appears that a property owner and tenants really care about
their property and maintaining it, it is less likely to be the subject of illegal dumping and other crimes.

2. Help prosecute illegal dumpers. Encourage your tenants to watch for illegal dumpers and get license plate
numbers, then report it to the city’s Property
Maintenance Department at 271-5342. If you find
trash on your property, see if you can find any telltale
signs of whose trash it may have been and contact
property maintenance for further assistance. We
have worked with the city prosecutor to successfully
prosecute a number of cases of illegal dumping---
when we are able to put together enough evidence
to do so.

3. If you are the victim of illegal dumping, remove it

as quickly as possible. Leaving the trash will simply
encourage the same people, or others, to use the
property as an illegal dumping area again.

4. Consider constructing fencing, planting bushes,

or adding lighting to make the area less inviting for
someone looking for someplace to dump illegally.

5. Help other property owners in the area by keeping

an eye on each other’s property. If you can help
prosecute someone who has dumped illegally on
your neighbor’s property, it helps discourage the
behavior and makes everyone less likely to fall victim
to illegal dumping themselves.
What’s Happening?
City Manager’s Office...
•Vince held this week’s staff meeting at the new Remington
Nature Center of St. Joseph. Bill McKinney and his staff re-
ceived accolades for a job well done and best wishes for a
successful future operation.
•Congratulations to all the new and repeat locally elected
officials.
Technology Services...
The agenda for upcoming City Council meetings can be
viewed at: www.stjoemo.info/clerk/clerk_minutes.cfm.
You can then follow along as you watch the council
meeting LIVE on channel 19 at 7pm every other Mon-
day. The meetings are then replayed at 10am on Tues-
day, 7pm on Thursday, and 12 noon on Saturday.
Property Maintenance...
Don Richardson attended ICC (International Code Compli-
ance) training in Overland Park, Kansas, last week. These
classes consisted of: Legal Aspects of Code Administration,
Building Department Personnel Management, Building De-
partment Financial Management, Increasing the Credibility
of the Code Official, and Ethics in Public Life. These classes
count towards his credits for ICC certification.
Financial Services...
•After a few weeks’ evaluation, the Financial Services
Department has decided not to formally go with the
Direct Merchant (Remote Check) program. The ma-
chines have been returned to the vendor.
•We send a big “thank you” to the members of the City
Hall Breakroom Committee for the Halloween “treat” of
breakfast last Friday.
Planning & Community Development...
On November 5, the City Council met with represen-
tatives from the State of Missouri, BNSF Railways, and
MoDOT to discuss the formation of a Downtown Quiet
Zone.
Health Department...
•We will be participating in Tiny Tot Town, sponsored by Par-
ents as Teachers, on Friday, November 7. We will be discuss-
ing good food choices with the parents, while the children
will play a matching game with healthy fruits and vegeta-
bles.
•Friends of the Shelter is holding an animal preview at UPCO
on Saturday from 10am until noon. The animals will then be
available for adoption at the shelter from 1pm to 4pm.
City departments at a glance...
Fire Department...
Open burning started November 3, and runs
through November 23, from the hours of 10am
to 3:30pm. For more information, please visit:
www.stjoemo.info/mainpages/OpenBurning.pdf
Customer Assistance...
•A restaurant/bar called “The Tap Room” will be open-
ing soon at 1702 N. Belt Highway. It will only be open
on the weekends.
•Hick’s Ribs & Things at 202 N. 22nd Street will be
open once all walk through inspections have been
approved. This business has been closed since 2004.
Public Works & Transportation...
Last Sunday, parts of Jules and Faraon Streets down-
town turned from one-way to two-way streets. Extra
traffic signage and pavement markings have been
added to help alert drivers to the changes. As driv-
ers acclimate to the change, the traffic direction
pavement markings will be allowed to fade and the
number of traffic direction signs will be reduced to a
normal level.
Human Resources...
LAGERS annual statements and a memo regarding the
new dental rates were distributed last week to all city
employees. Those who did not receive a copy should
contact human resources.
Legal Department...
Assistant City Attorney Tim Davis has ridden off
into the sunset. Good luck in Kansas City, Tim!
Police Department...
The police department thanks you for help-
ing keep our children safe on Halloween.
Parks, Recreation & Civic Facilities...
•Holiday lighting is starting to take it’s place as the
primary activity for the parks department.
•We are finishing up the last few projects at the na-
ture center.
•Our plumber is busy closing and winterizing facili-
ties throughout the system.
•The addition of more concrete cart paths is
underway at Fairview Golf Course.
Creature Feature “Gremlin” is a 4-month-old
Hard at work...
The Block Street drainage project contract was
male domestic medium awarded to Bestgen, Inc., for $135,428. Funding
hair orange cat. He is sweet is from the sales tax storm water fund. Estimated
and very easy to handle completion date for this project is February, 2009.
and is litter box trained.
The cost associated with
making Gremlin a part of
your family is approximately
$57.50 (adoption fee, neuter,
vaccinations, license, and
microchip)
For information call 271-4877
Hours of operation:
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 1:00 - 5:30pm
Wednesday 1:00 - 6:30pm
Friday & Saturday 1:00 - 4:30pm

Property Maintenance update 211 Hammond Street

A notice was sent to the own-

ers of 211 Hammond Street
to clean up the property by
removing all trash, rubbish,
junk, and debris. Property
owners complied by clean-
ing all of it up.

BEFORE AFTER

Did You Know? Where the Money Goe$

An ordinance was approved authorizing the pur-
•The Paper Lofts (old Mead building) opened for
chase of one aerial platform apparatus from Sutphen
new tenants on Saturday, November 1, 2008.
Corporation in the amount of $871,236.99. This ap-
This building will have 258 apartments when it is
paratus will replace the Snorkel truck currently in use
done.
at fire headquarters. The funding for this purchase is
from the Capital Improvements Sales Tax Program.
•In 2003, the average daily volume of spam was 15
billion, resulting in 45% of all e-mails. In 2008, that
number jumped to 164.1 billion e-mails, or 96.5%
of all e-mails. The money spent battling spam
annually was $20.5 billion in 2003. That number is
$140 billion in 2008.
 The award this week goes to...
moderator Julie Noel, narrator
Maggie Fischer, actors Tony
Zuchowski, Vicki Johnson, Bill
Marlin, Mitzi Teliczan, George
Albert, Matt Fischer, Kim Hurt,
Mark Townsend, and produc-
tion staff on the discrimination/
harassment video Larry Stobbs
and Larry Smith. All of these city employees devot-
ed their time and talents to the creation of the video
presentations for customer service and discrimina-
tion/harassment training for city employees this
year. They all did a fantastic and creative job. Ed-
iting of the discrimination/sexual harassment film
was performed by Julie Noel,
with editing and production
of the customer service
video completed by
Maggie Fischer.
To Your Health
More Medication Being Prescribed for Children
In a recent HealthDay News article, it was reported
that medication use among children is on the rise
as more kids are being treated for obesity, attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and asthma.
Researchers found over a 4-year period from 2002-
2005, prescriptions for children increased signifi-
cantly. For example, among two drugs to treat type
2 diabetes, the use doubled. Girls seem to be who
this trend has targeted. There was a 166% increase
in prevalence among girls aged 10 to 14, and a 135%
increase in prevalence among girls age 15 to 19. The
increased rate of prescribing medication was much
more for girls (147 %), than it was for boys (39%).
For more information on childhood obesity and its
affects, visit www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesi-
tyinchildren.html
Get Connected To
The City of
St. Joseph
Missouri
www.stjoemo.info • SJTV-19 • (816) 279-4YOU
~Attend the City Council meeting at 7pm on Monday,
November 17, in the Council Chamber of City Hall.
~Listen for City Manager Vince Capell on the
Barry Birr Show (KFEQ AM 680) at 9am on Thursday,
November 20.
~Attend City Talk at 6:30pm on Thursday, November
20, at the Missouri National Guard Mayes Memorial
Armory, 301 North Woodbine Road.
~Watch City Council meetings LIVE every other Mon-
day night on channel 19. You can also watch a re-
broadcast of the meeting on Tuesdays at 10am, Thurs-
days at 7pm, and Saturdays at Noon.
City Employees...
At Work For You!
Clint Thompson is a 10-year veteran of the city. As the di-
rector of Planning and Community Development, he is
responsible for both the community and economic de-
velopment of the city. He has been married for 12 years
and has two children.
His favorites…
Food: Beef Jerky, Hot dogs from
the gas station rotisserie
Place: Alaska
Hobby: Snow Boarding, Hunting
Rock Climbing, Heli-Skiiing
Movie: Urban Cowboy
Book: How To Be A Maverick
by Sarah Palin
Group: Alabama
Song: Anything by Ronnie Milsap
Government Happenings
DATE
Monday, November 10
Tuesday, November 11
Wednesday, November 12
Wednesday, November 12
Thursday, November 13
TIME EVENT LOCATION
6:30pm Museum Oversight Board meeting City Hall-1st Floor Conference Room
All Day City Offices Closed-VETERANS DAY All City Offices
Noon Advisory Commission on Aging meeting JRP Senior Center
5pm Special Council Meeting City Hall-Mayor’s Office
10:30am St. Joseph Area Transportation Study Pizza Shoppe-410 Court Street
Organization Technical Committee meeting Savannah, MO

Things To Do
DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION
November 8 8pm St. Joseph Symphony Concert Missouri Theater
November 11 2pm Veteran’s Day Parade Begins at 10th & Francis
November 14 8pm Dallas Brass presented by PAA Missouri Theater
November 22 9am-4pm KQ2 Holiday Mart Civic Arena
November 23 5:30pm Holiday Jazz Fest Missouri Theater
December 5•6•7 Fri-7:30pm A Christmas Carol presented by RRT Missouri Theater
Sat/Sun-2pm
December 13 10am-Noon Mayor’s Children’s Christmas Party Bode Ice Arena
December 13 7:30pm Voices of America Christmas Concert Missouri Theater
December 19-20 TBA High School City League Basketball Games Civice Arena
December 20 8pm St. Joseph Symphony Concert Missouri Theater

UPCOMING CITY CLOSINGS Open Burning

All city offices and the
November 3 through
recycling center will be
CLOSED on November 23, 2008
Tuesday, November 11
10am-3:30pm
in observance of Veteran’s Day
www.stjoemo.info/mainpages/
The landfill will be open from 7am-2pm
OpenBurning.pdf

City Job Opportunities Click on position names to see more information about
the job opportunity, or visit www.stjoemo.info

POSITION (Regular Postions Only-No Seasonal) WAGE DEPARTMENT DEADLINE TO APPLY

Assistant City Attorney $48,206/yr Legal November 7, 2008
Firefighter $29,157/yr Fire Open Until Filled
Police Officer $30,188/yr Police October 31, 2008
City council City Numbers
CITY MISSION STATEMENT: The City of St. Joseph is Mayor’s Office 271-4640
dedicated to providing quality services by working City Council 271-4731
to enhance the quality of life and to create a healthy, City Manager’s Office 271-4610
progressive community in which to live, work and visit. City Attorney 271-4680
City Clerk 271-4730
COUNCIL VISION STATEMENT: St. Joseph is an historic
river city that provides opportunities for a skilled workforce Accounting & Budgeting 271-5526
and promotes a friendly, safe environment for everyone. Animal Control & Rescue Info Line 271-4877
Birth/Death Certificates 271-4636
CURRENT COUNCIL GOALS: Customer Assistance 271-4757
Communication Building Development 271-5341
New fire stations License & Permits 271-4751
Downtown revitalization Fire Department 271-4603
Riverfront development
Health Department 271-4636
Sewer service extension to areas not presently served
Police personnel additions (20 officers) Human Resources (Jobs) 271-4670
Transportation/roads Municipal Court 271-4686
Parks, Recreation & Civic Facilities 271-5500
CORE SET OF VALUES USED TO ACHIEVE COUNCIL Bode Sports Complex 271-5352
GOALS: Civic Arena 271-4717
Frugality Patience Fairview Golf Course 271-5350
Independent thinking Dedication Muchenberger Center 271-5512
Intellectual honesty/integrity Broader thinking JRP Senior Center 271-4666
Teamwork Courage for convictions
Accountability Sports Information Line 271-5503
Open communications
Approachability Sacrifice Planning & Zoning 271-4827
Respect for each other Adaptability Police Department 271-4702
Passion for city/citizens Voice of people Public Works & Transportation 271-4653
Rosecrans Memorial Airport 271-4886
Landfill 253-9764
Recycling Center 232-4401

Department directors Street & Sewer Maintenance

Wastewater Treatment Plant
Street Information Line
271-4848
271-4693
271-4699
Property Maintenance 271-5342
Purchasing 271-4696
St. Joseph Transit 233-6700

Get CTheonCitynofected to...

St. Joseph
Missouri
www.stjoemo.info • Channel 19 • (816) 279-4YOU
Front (LtoR) Clint Thompson-Planning & Community
Development; Steve Hofferber-Technology Services, Phone... Public Information
& Property Maintenance; Bill McKinney-Parks, Recre-
ation & Civic Facilities; Bruce Woody-Public Works &
279-4YOU & communications
24-Hour Message Line
Transportation. Mary Robertson
Middle (LtoR) Paula Heyde-City Clerk; Debra Bradley- Web... Communications Manager
Health; Diana Slater-Human Resources; Lisa Robert- www.stjoemo.info 816.271.4610
mrobertson@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
son-Legal; Carolyn Harrison-Financial Services.
TV...
SJTV19
Back (LtoR) Mike Dalsing-Fire; Chris Connally-Police; Maggie Fischer
Sam Barber-Customer Assistance; and Vince Capell- Communications Coordinator
816.271.5524
City Manager. Your City...Your Channel mafischer@ci.st-joseph.mo.us